In the end Ahmed Alush refused to burn the Torah and the Bible outside the Israeli Embassy.
Local Swedish police on Friday said they had approved an application from an individual in his 30s to hold a rally outside Israel’s Embassy in Stockholm on July 15, where a Jewish Torah and Christian Bible will be burned.
That application was made by the Swedish Muslim man, Ahmed Alush, 32.
It was in response to the recent burning of the Quran by a Swedish extremist.
In the end, Mr Alush did not burn the Torah or the Bible. Stating that he just wanted to prove a point – and that no religion’s holy books should be burned.
He said to local reporters who had gathered:
“It is against the Quran to burn holy books and I will not burn them. No one should do that.
This is a response to the people who burn the Quran. I want to show that freedom of expression has limits that must be taken into account.
I want to show that we have to respect each other, we live in the same society. If I burn the Torah, another the Bible, another the Quran, there will be war here. What I wanted to show is that it’s not right to do it”.
The Swedish authorities faced condemnation from Jewish and Christian religious and non-religious groups for granting the authorisation of burning of the Torah and the Bible.
Similar to the condemnation by Muslim groups for granting authorisation of the burning of the Quran. Which incidentally did go ahead.
The Swedish authorities made these decisions under the principle of free speech. Which is one of the key pillars of free and democratic societies. And rightly must be granted and protected.
But we know this right is not absolute, nor is it desirable for it to be absolute.
There are laws such as laws against incitement and hate speech that prevent us from having a right to absolute free speech and expression.
Free speech must serve a purpose. People who speak up against government policies on climate – do so because they are deeply worried about the state the Earth will be left for future generations.
People who speak up against Israel’s illegal occupation and apartheid practices – do so because they believe in the rights of the Palestinians.
People who speak up against the Iranian regime – do so because they believe in the rights of women.
There is often a fine line of getting it right and getting it wrong. The parameters of free speech and expression should be as wide and deep as possible, and then some.
But, what purpose of free speech and expression does it serve when Sweden grants the burning of holy books, other than incitement?
It is the crazies who get much of the attention for reacting in crazy ways to such events. But I presume there is a majority of moderates in all these religious groups who are disturbed by Sweden granting these permissions.
